Bed spring marginal rim and connections



April 1953 E. ANSPACHER 2,635,258

BED SPRING MARGINAL RIM AND CONNECTIONS Filed Nov. 22, 1947 HTTOENEV Patented Apr. 21, 1953 BED SPRING MARGINAL R11 AND CONNECTIONS Edgar Anspacher, Beverly Hills, Calif.

Application November 22, 1947, Serial No. 787,594

1 Claim.

This invention pertains to improvements in the construction of mattresses and upholstery springs and is particularly directed to the pro.- vision of means whereby the edge areas of a mattress, box spring, or other piece of upholstered furniture, including an assemblage of coiled springs, is not unduly depressed or broken down when the weight of an occupant is imposed upon such edge. 7

Although the invention is applicable to the construction of various units of upholstered furniture, such as divans, sofas, arm-chairs, and the like, it is particularly useful when employed in the construction of mattresses and box springs. These relatively large units are particularly subject to the weakening of edge areas thereof. For this reason the following description will be particularly directed to the utilization of the invention in the construction of mattresses and box springs, although it is not limited thereto.

Most mattresses comprise an assemblage of :coil springs in parallel, spaced relation, the .springs being arranged with their tops in a com- ;mon top plane and their bottoms in a common bottom plane spaced from the top a predetermined distance. Various means of interconnect- :ing these coil springs are utilized in the art. :Some of the springs are uncovered and others imay be encased in cloth, sacks, tubes, or the like. .By referring to springs of the coil type, reference is made to springs having either a cylindrical contour or an hour-glass contour, that is, I the springs may be either of a spiral or helical :form.

Ordinarily, such assemblages of springs are provided with border means or a border frame composed of wire, such wire being primarily employed for the purpose of imparting a relatively straight edge to the mattress or box springs, over 'which edge the upholsterers felt and cloth covering may be stretched and applied. The practice of sitting on the edge is notorious and in .most instances causes the spring immediately beneath the person occupying such position to be completely collapsed. Such an excessive load on but a few springs beneath the person is not only detrimental to the life of the mattress, but creates an unpleasant sensation and the impression that the mattress lacks resiliency. The present invention is designed to overcome these disadvantages, to increase the effective life of the spring construction, to more uniformly distribute any weight which may be imposed upon edge areas of a mattress, and to increase the apparent resiliency and springiness of a mattress.

It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to disclose and provide an improved mattress and upholstery spring construction.

A further object of the invention is to disclose and provide means whereby the border or edge areas of an assemblage of coiled springs may be strengthened without destroying, and, in effect, enhancing, the resiliency and springiness of the assemblage.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description of exemplary forms of construction embraced by the inventive concept disclosed. In

order to facilitate understanding, reference will be had to the appended drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 schematically represents a mattress and the position of edge areas thereof when a localized load is applied to such edge areas.

Fig. 2 is a perspective, enlarged View of one corner of a mattress or other upholstery spring construction with covers and padding removed, illustrating the improved construction.

The present invention is not limited to the use of any particular type of coiled spring nor to any particular type of method of assembling or connecting the springs to each other, since numerous methods of construction may be utilized. In each instance, however, the mattress or other construction includes a plurality of springs of the opposing cone, coil type, such as the springs Ni, ii, l2, it, etc., arranged with their axes in parallel, spaced relation. In order to simplify description, these various springs are shown without any cloth or any coverings and are of the opposed spiral type. The size and spacing of such springs may be greatly varied in accordance with the character or quality of the product being made.

In all instances, however,. the tops of the springs are arranged in a common top plane and the bottoms also occupy a common bottom plane, thespacing of these two planes being generally predetermined by the size of the springs and, in many instances, by the use of additional members limiting upward motion of the springs and connecting the tops and bottoms of the springs or the upper and lower longitudinally extending connecting members.

In most instances, the common top plane and the common bottom plane include longitudinally or transversely extending means connected to the springs and interconnecting such springs. In Fig. 2 such means comprise the strands of corrugated, wavy or sinuous wire [5, It, etc., these strands being intertwined with the top lays 01. the coils traversed by them, the ends being connected to'a border or frame member.

In accordance with my invention, the border or frame extends substantially in the plane of the tops of the coil springs and, in order to uniformly distribute a load which may be imposed upon the edge areas of the spring assembly, includes a web lying substantially in a plane perpendicular to the top and bottom planes. For example, the border may comprise an angle iron,

such as the angle iron generally indicated at 20, and including a horizontally disposed leg 2| (substantially in the plane of the common top plane of the various springs Ill-I3) and the web or leg 22 which lies in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the tops. This border frame 20 extends completely around the assemblage of springs and the longitudinal or transverse strands |5 and l5 are connected thereto, as for example, by twisting the end l5 around such frame 20. In addition, those springs which are adjacent the border frame may be attached thereto, preferably in a resilient manner, by means of wire or links. In the illustration, the attachment means comprises a length of wire 23 twisted around the border frame 20 and engaging the upper lays of the coil springs H), H and I3 adjacent such border.

The border frame 20 may be made of one or more pieces of relatively stifi, angle-shaped metal. The leg or web 22, which is perpendicular to the planes common to the tops and bottoms of the springs, should be at least twice as wide as the thickness of the horizontal leg 2|. It is to be understood that the border frame 20 need not be of an angle shape, since a T-shaped extrusion will function as well.

It has also been found desirable to decrease the rigidity of the border frame in the region of the corners and to increase the flexibility of the frame in the corner areas to loads imposed in a direction perpendicular to the top plane. It has been found that if the border frame is truly rigid and a load is imposed on one longitudinal edge area of a mattress, the opposing or opposite longitudinal edge has a tendency to rise unduly. Fig. 2 illustrates such means located at the corner of the border frame and in the embodiment of the invention representing the upper border frame 20, such means comprises a notch 24 cut out of the web 22. The substantially horizontal leg 2| is continuous, however, and the ends of the strip of metal may be suitably riveted or welded together in completing the entire border frame.

Fig. 2, moreover, illustrates a modification of the invention as applied to the lower border frame .20. As there shown, the longitudinal ends of the border frame terminate in the horizontally disposed legs 2|, the upstanding or vertical web having been cut away. Opposing ends of the border frame, in the region of the corners, are then covered by a curved, hollow sheath or coupling, shown in dash lines at 25. This sheath 25 may be attached to the ends 2| in any suitable manner; they may be a pressed fit, spot welded, riveted, or otherwise attached. This construction allows a certain flexibility at the corners without reducing the desired rigidity of the border frame along the longitudinal margins of the entire spring assembly.

Although Fig. 2 illustrates different forms of border frames adjacent the top and bottom margins of the assembly of coil springs, it is to be understood that identically the same type of border frame may be used on both top and bottom, or only the top edge or border frame of an assembly need be provided with the improvements disclosed herein. For example, box springs need only be provided with a single border frame adjacent the upper marginal edges of the spring assembly.

Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate the advantages of the present invention. By referring to Fig. 1, a box spring I having marginal edges which include the edge 2 (in unloaded po- 4 'sition) will normally sag very definitely if a load is imposed on such edge, as for example, under the weight of a person 3 seated on such edge.

*Dash line 15 indicates the approximate position embodying the edge describedherein do not exhibit the tendency to form material and sharp depressions in the central area of the mattress when the weight of a prone body is imposed upon the mattress. It appears that the provision of an edge or border having, as a portion thereof, a web or element extending in a plane perpendicular to the top and bottom planes of the mattress imparts a firmness to the entire upper plane of the mattress, distributing the load more uniformly over the entire area, thereby permitting either one or two persons to sleep on the mattress without the formation of excessive depressions in the upper plane of the mattress.

Various changes and modifications coming within the scope of the appended claim are embraced thereby.

I claim:

In a mattress and upholstery spring construction, substantially polygonal in plan, including an assembly of a plurality of upholstery springsof hour-glass contour coil type, arranged with the axis or" said springs in vertical parallel spaced relation, said springs being arranged with their tops in a common plane and their bottoms in a common bottom plane spaced from the top plane a predetermined distance, the provision of: a strip border means consisting of a relatively stiff, metallic angle iron surrounding the spring assembly, said border means having a leg lyingin the plane of the tops of the springs and a web lying in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the tops, said border means being curved at the corner portions of said polygonal spring assembly and integrally connecting adjacent sides of said assembly, means for resiliently connecting the border means to the spring assembly, and a cut out portion in the vertical web of said border means at each of the curved corner portions whereby said borders have vertical resiliency at said corners and resist bending in intermediate portions.

EDGAR ANSPACHER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

